Spring 2019

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ParkLands Commit to Conservation social kicks off 2019

Happy New Year from the ParkLands Foundation! Our Outreach committee and board of directors has made it a priority to get to know more of our members and supporters. The winter months don't offer much of an opportunity to get together outdoors. A winter social seemed like a great alternative! Keg Grove Brewing Company generously offered their upstairs lounge as well as a portion of their proceeds from the evening. Seventy people attended and learned about our upcoming events and workday calendar for 2019. It was also a great opportunity for our board members and staff to talk with our members and volunteers. Thank you to everyone that attended and we hope to make this a regular event.

Newsletter

The 2017 Annual Meeting of the ParkLands Foundation occurred on Sunday, September 10th. This was our 49th annual membership

business meeting held in conjunction with our 50th anniversary celebration. Approximately 100 people were in attendance.

Many thanks to Matt Fraker and Sherri Thornton for hosting this wonderful event on their private property adjacent to our prized

Chinquapin Bluffs Nature Preserve in rural Carlock, Woodford County, Illinois. This designated Illinois Nature Preserve is home to a

variety of native plant and animal species in prairies, savannahs and woodlands along the Mackinaw River.

The business meeting was held from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. and included a Treasurer’s Report, election of a new Board of Director,

election of the FY 2017-18 Board Officers, and updates from the Outreach, Stewardship and Development committees. After the

meeting, we had a delicious local food picnic lunch provided by Epiphany Farms and a keynote presentation by Matt Fraker on

“50 Years of Conservation Success: The Past and Future of ParkLands Foundation Personal Perspectives of a Longtime Donor and

Landowner.”

After lunch, participants chose one of the following activities: (a) Guided hike with Matt Fraker on his property, (b) Tram riding tour

to Mackinaw River in Chinquapin Bluffs Preserve, (c) Explore nature on your own or rest in the tent, or (d) Take a tram to the parking

lot to depart. The day’s activities ended with a celebratory champagne toast, a special anniversary cake and a dessert buffet.

49TH ANNUAL MEETING & 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION PICNIC

Matt Fraker at the Annual Meeting & Celebration Picnic

Don & Carol Schmidt at the Annual Meeting & Celebration Picnic

If you are interested in volunteering please see our website http://www.parklandsfoundation.org/volunteer/to fill out a volunteer application form

The following is a brief summary of the events held in 2017 to commemorate the ParkLands Foundation’s 50 years of land conservation

successes and to raise the publics’ awareness of our ongoing habitat restoration efforts.

Our nonprofit 501c3 formed in 1967 to preserve, protect and ecologically restore historic natural lands in the middle and upper

Mackinaw River watershed. Working together, the ParkLands Foundation volunteers, members, donors, and neighboring landowners

have conserved and restored thousands of acres of natural habitat dedicated primarily for preserving the biological diversity of

native plants and wildlife, and secondarily for passive public recreation, environmental educational and scientific research.

THANK YOU!!We would like to extend much appreciation to the very enthusiastic members of our Outreach Committee for their hard work and

contributions to planning, organizing and implementing the year-long 50th anniversary activities. Also, many thanks to the Board of

Directors, Jason Shoemaker and numerous dedicated volunteers for giving much extra time and effort to help make our year-long

celebration a huge success!

Outreach CommitteeJulie Elzanati (2017 Chair) Jessica Chambers Bethany Evans Cristina Almeida

Mary Jo Adams Jan Turner Erin Herbez

50th Anniversary Celebration: FY 2016-17 Activities & Events • Fundraising

Giving Tuesday (online)

One day: November 29, 2016

New merchandise apparel and gear sales have been good

• Publicity Events

March 2017 – Booth at Home, Lawn and Garden Show

April 2017 – Booth at IL Sustainable Living & Wellness Expo

June 2017 – Booth at Bloomington Farmers Market

Various radio interviews by board members

Guest editorial in Pantagraph

• New ParkLands Foundation apparel and outdoor gear with our new

50th anniversary logo (Design work donated by Spoon Creative, Inc.)

• New promotional materials, including brochure and marketing banners

OUTREACH COMMITTEE SUMMARY OF 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION EVENTSSubmitted by Julie Elzanati2019 Workday Calendar

Historic River Valley Map

INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL Chinquapin Bluffs Preserve

Meeting Place: Fairlakes Golf Course 2203 County Rd 600 N, Secor, IL 61771

April 27- 9:00 AM-12:00PM

May 18- 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM

INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL Letcher Basin Preserve

Meeting Place: South .8 miles on 1975 E. From intersection of 475 N. and 1975 E. Secor, IL

June 22- 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM

INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL Ridgetop Illinois Nature Preserve

Meeting Place: Fairlakes Golf Course 2203 County Rd 600 N Secor, IL 61771

July 13- 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM

July 27- 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL Hayes Woods Nature Preserve

Meeting Place: Fairlakes Golf Course 2203 County Rd 600 N, Secor, IL 61771

September 21- 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

NATIVE PRAIRIE SEED COLLECTION Cayuga Ridge

Meeting place: McDonald’s 1744 PJ Keller Hwy, Lexington, IL 61753

October 26- 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM

November 9- 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

PRAIRIE SEED CLEANING

Meeting Place: Science Laboratory Building, 125 S. Fell Avenue, Normal, IL 61761 (ISU)

December 7th- 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM

Contact Jason Shoemaker for information (309) 531-7065 with any questions

THANK YOU FOR 2017… (continued)

Calendar of Events

Friday, April 20th Piling Brush Piles

McDonalds 1744 P J Keller Hwy, Lexington, IL 61753

(Bunney tract)

1:00pm to 4:00pm

Jason Shoemaker (309) 531-7065

Sunday, May 6th Merwin Wildflower Walk

(North Parking Lot) East .5 miles on 2650 N,

intersection of 1925 East Rd and County Rd. 2650 N.

Lexington IL (Merwin)

2:00pm to 3:30-4:00pm

Roger Anderson (309) 438-2653

Sunday, June 3rd Wandering in Woodford County

South .8 miles on 1975 E. From intersection

of 475 N. and 1975 E. Secor, IL (Letchers Basin)

10:00am to 1:00pm

Jessica Chambers (309) 287-8768

Most Thursdays, Beginning August 30th IWU Conservation Biology Work Days

Fairlakes Golf Course 2203 County Rd 600 N,

Secor, IL 61771 (work at Woodford Corridor sites)

1:00pm to 5:00pm

Jason Shoemaker (309) 531-7065

There will need to be a Capital Campaign in the coming years to meet these goals. ParkLands Foundation has been managed

quite well, especially in the stewardship aspect, but it needs to evolve and transform as ParkLands move forward. We are slowly but

surely creating and preserving a unique ecological paradise in an ecological desert of farm ground and development. We need to

continue to press forward for future generations!

Any assistance you can provide in any manner in 2018 will be greatly appreciated.

Dan Deneen, President

Here is a list of our events for 2019. For more information visit our website http://www.parklandsfoundation.org/eventscalendar/or if you would like to volunteer please contact Erin Herbez at parklandsoffice@gmail.com or 309-454-3169 x16

ParkLands is hiring summer interns!

General Information:Two full-time internship positions are available for summer 2019 Applications are due April 01, 2019.The internship begins in May and continues until August 2019; positions are 37.5 hours per week.The starting hourly wage is $10.00 per hour with no overtime pay Interns will work both independently and with others including volunteers, stewards, and professionals.An herbicide operator’s license is required; this will be obtained at the start of the internship. For testing information contact Illinois Department of Agriculture, License and Test Information (1-800-641-3934). Take the General Standards test.

Internship Goals:

Experience hands-on natural lands management by removing invasive vegetation from ParkLands Foundation sites;Learn to identify native and invasive plant species;Meet professional land managers and biologists and learn management, restoration, and monitoring techniques from them; Coordinate with the land stewards to perform annual management activities;Assist with Foundation activities, site visits, and work days; Learn the importance of managing our natural area remnants; Collect native plant seeds;Assist with data collection as needed.

Please see our website www.parklandsfoundation.org/summer-2019-internships-available/ for instructions on how to apply.

ParkLands Foundation held a banquet on October 24th,

2017 at the Doubletree Hotel in Bloomington to celebrate

the 50th anniversary of our founding. Paid attendees

enjoyed a lovely dinner and a program featuring the

story of ParkLands founding and growth with stories from

numerous ParkLands heroes along with stories from the

invited speaker Dr. David Haskell. Dr. Haskell, renowned

conservation author of A Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch

in Nature, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the

PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. Dr.

Haskell’s talk “The World is Made from Details” placed

the ParkLands story in context. Dr. Haskell also shared

excerpts from his writings in The Songs of Trees (Stories

from Nature’s Great Connectors). This was an incredible

evening of memories and aspirations. Many thanks to

Guy Fraker for his contributions towards this program.

50TH ANNIVERSARY BANQUET WITH DR. DAVID HASKELL

50th Anniversary Banquet with Dr. David Haskell

Illinois Prairie Wild Ones Chapter is hosting noted ecologist and best-selling author, Doug Tallamy, on April 24th, 2018 at Heartland

Community College from 7-8:30pm. The event is free and open to the public. Doug will share his ideas on creating living landscapes

with native plants while attracting pollinators to your yard.

ILLINOIS PRAIRIE WILD ONES CHAPTER SPECIAL EVENT

Sweeney PreserveBy Finn Amble

Recently, I took a few hikes in the Sweeney Preserve. The first tree I saw was a sycamore. I stopped to take a look at the youngster. I remember when it was planted. I even remember when it would have been under seven feet of water. I remember things about that tree like my parents’ friends remember about me when I was a tike. I have always liked sycamore trees. Why? Because of their tree trunks. Because they are unusual. I think that they are beautiful. So, if beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, how can a sycamore be made exciting to you? Well, lets see. First of all, from Wikipedia, an “American sycamore tree can often be easily distinguished from other trees by its mottled bark which flakes off in great irregular masses, leaving the surface mottled, and greenish-white, gray and brown. The bark of all trees has to yield to a growing trunk by stretching, splitting, or infilling; the sycamore shows the process more openly than many other trees. The explanation is found in the rigid texture of the bark tissue which lacks the elasticity of the bark of some other trees, so it is incapable of stretching to accommodate the growth of the wood underneath, so the tree sloughs it off.”Maybe that is not so exciting. I mean, it is to me. Especially the mottled surface part. But’s let see if I can do better.Consider this. “A sycamore can grow to massive proportions, typically reaching up to 30 to 40 m (98 to 131 ft) high and 1.5 to 2 m (4.9 to 6.6 ft) in diameter when grown in deep soils. The largest of the species have been measured to 51 m (167 ft), and nearly 4 m (13 ft) in diameter.” Pretty big. More than half a football field tall. Getting warmer?“Larger specimens were recorded in historical times. In 1744, a Shenandoah Valley settler named Joseph Hampton and two sons lived for most of the year in a hollow sycamore in what is now Clarke County, Virginia.” Really? A year in a sycamore? And Cubs fans thought it felt like a long time for a championship!“In 1770, at Point Pleasant, Virginia George Washington recorded in his journal a sycamore measuring 13.67 m (44 ft 10 in) in circumference at 91 cm (3 ft) from the ground.” I guess I am not alone! So let me get this straight. A father and two of his boys lived in one! And the “father of our country” liked them too! Good enough for me so far!But yes! There’s more! I wondered to myself. What the heck was up with the naming of the “sycamore.” I mean, how many “more” of the “sycs” does someone need and what is a “syc” anyway? That’s when I really became intrigued. This next part blew my mind about the origin of that name of the sycamore tree…“A Biblical word, originally used for a wide-spreading shade tree with fig-like fruit (Ficus sycomorus) common in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, etc., whose leaves somewhat resemble those of the mulberry; applied in English from 1580s to a large species of European maple (also plane-tree), perhaps because both it and the Biblical tree were notable for their shadiness (the Holy Family took refuge under a sycamore on the flight to Egypt).” “Spelling apparently influenced by sycamine "black mulberry tree," which is from Greek sykcaminos, which also is mentioned in the Bible (Luke xvii.6). For the sake of clarity, some writers have used the more Hellenic sycomore in reference to the Biblical tree.”So, se repite (I think that means “let’s repeat” in Spanish but I’m not positive). You have a tree with unique and beautiful bark. Next some settler in Virginia sticks his two sons in said tree for a one year time-out. Further, the father of our nation measured a massive one six years before he has to hustle away from Martha and deal with the Brits for 8 ½ years. And finally our Father was nestled under one on a brief respite from fleeing for his life to Egypt on his way for a job description as our Savior. Boring? I think not.

As a coup de grace, to realize that the sycamore is also known as “The Robin Hood Tree” and that even Shakespeare wrote about it and I think you have a tree to be admired.Meanwhile, get out to Sweeney and check for yourselves. I get much joy from supporting ParkLands. I’ve never been on a board where the leaders get less praise than they should. I know I praise them. Speaking of which, our talented and terminally upbeat Parklands caretaker, Jason Shoemaker, recommends the bench under the big oak overlooking the big bottomland for a nice view and a good place to write. As usual, he is correct…All the best and happy hiking!

Your friend in boots. Finn and Christian Amble skiing at Sweeney preserve

Finn Amble

All the best and happy hiking!Your friend in boots, Finn Amble

OUTREACH COMMITTEE SUMMARY OF 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION EVENTS (continued)

Merwin in May – May 13, 2017Multiple outdoor activities offered at Merwin Preserve

120 people attended

5 new members joined because of event

Half Century Bike EventSaturday, August 5, 2017, turned out to be a beautiful and sunny but cool day, which was perfect for the Half Century Bike Ride event

that ParkLands Foundation hosted as part of our year-long 50th anniversary celebration. 240 participants joined our noncompetitive

ride on 7-, 20-, or 50-mile routes throughout the scenic Mackinaw River Watershed in McLean and Woodford counties. The courses

started and finished at Keller Park Pavilion in Lexington, Illinois and went past several of our properties, including rest stops at

Fairlakes Golf Course and the Merwin Preserve West Gate. Many photos of the event were shared on our Facebook page and on

Twitter at #parklands50th. ParkLands welcomed 18 new memberships due to this event.

Many thanks to our generous sponsors: Invenergy for providing substantial financial support for our bike event and for serving

free brats and beverages to participants after their ride. Vitesse Cycle Shop and Ecology Action Center for providing substantial

assistance with event planning and preparations, as well as SAG service during the event. Contributors also included Wells Fargo,

Dan Deneen, Nate Hinch, and Finn Amble.

Merlin in May 2017 - Bethany Evans, Mary Campbell, John Campbell

Riders at ParkLands Bike Event

This month, we ask that you join us in remembering and honoring a loving husband and father, as well as a beloved member of the ParkLands Foundation, Mr. Guy Fritz. As an avid lover of the outdoors, Guy had learned the value of nature from an early age as he hunted and fished with his father. This love grew throughout his life as he read the writings of John Muir and Henry Thoreau, until eventually he heard about our organization through his dear friend, Bill Cockrell. Immediately, Guy knew that the foundation was a thing to be valued and decided to volunteer. As fondly remembered by his wife, Ann, Guy was soon responsible for trail maintenance and became devoted to doing the best job that he could. She remembers her husband painting a “No Dogs Allowed” sign multiple times because he had not been happy with the lettering. More than anything though, Guy loved to share the beauty found in, and his love of the outdoors. Each year, Guy would lead his family on their annual spring wildflower trip. Roaming the preserves, they would spy beautiful blue bells and trillium blossoms. Hiking with their father, Guy’s daughters have fond memories of finding something new each year that they had never seen before. A testament to his love of ParkLands, Guy always carried a few Foundation brochures in his car, ready to hand them out whenever he met someone interested in the outdoors. Even after passing away, Guy’s appreciation and love for the organization carries on. A testament to his giving nature, Guy asked that mourners donate to the Foundation to aid in their preservation efforts. We hope to carry on his lasting legacy and make him proud of our work. He will be truly missed by all of us.

In memory of Guy Fritz written by Christopher Guethoff and Ann Fritz

ParkLands Foundation / PO Box 12 / Normal, IL 61761-0012(309) 454-3169 / Address Service Requested

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Jessica Chambers President

Eric Smith Vice President

Krista Kirkham Secretary

Nancy Armstrong Treasurer

Directors

Cristina Almeida

Finn Amble

Michael Brown

Bethany Evans Campbell

Angelo Capparella

Bill Davison

Matt Fraker

Given Harper

Nathan Hinch

Douglas Kaufman-Dickson

Krista Kirkham

Mark Larsen

Maria Lemke

Eric Smith

Paul Van Ness

Honorary Directors

Roger Anderson

Guy Fraker

Sta�

Jason Shoemaker

Land Steward

Erin Herbez

Administrative Director